LAS VEGAS — Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson is juggling a lot right now: evaluating the Hawks and their deficiencies, scouting for this summer’s NHL draft and fielding calls for the March 7 trade deadline.
So it’s probably not surprising he declined to discuss anything deadline-related in a sit-down with the Tribune, particularly Seth Jones’ trade request.
What about Jones’ most recent comment that “we haven’t made any strides” since Game 1 of the season?
“No,” Davidson said succinctly.
However, he was willing to address the Hawks’ recent struggles and what he believes is behind them, as well as share his thoughts on two of the top prospects in the pipeline.
Here are three things we learned from Davidson.
1. Thirty-two games in, how is Anders Sorensen performing?
The Hawks interim coach now has managed six more games than predecessor Luke Richardson reached this season before Davidson fired him, and their records are somewhat similar.
- Richardson: 8-16-2
- Sorensen: 9-18-5
At 17-34-7, the Hawks have the second-worst record in the NHL with 24 games remaining.
Looking more closely at some of the losses since the turn of the calendar, three of those defeats came in overtime and two were via shootouts.
“We played some really nice hockey” during that stretch, Davidson told the Tribune before Thursday’s road game against the Vegas Golden Knights. “We’re getting to overtime, maybe not quite getting those wins. But we were in every single game and playing some nice hockey, getting up in the offense, getting some goals and it just felt like we were really taking a step.
“It’s almost unfortunate we had that break.”
That would be the two-week pause for the 4 Nations Face-Off, which was a huge hit with fans.
“It’s good for the game of hockey, but it’s unfortunate for the Blackhawks,” Davidson said. “It felt like we were on a bit of a roll and playing and had some nice momentum going.”
Finally getting some practice time in January, Sorensen began “reinforcing some of the things that he’s wanted to see in our game, and it had started to take hold — and then it stopped,” Davidson said.
Entering Thursday, the Hawks lost all four games since the break, all in regulation.
“I don’t necessarily believe we’ve played certainly at the level we were before the break now that we’re outside of it,” Davidson said. “But I believe the players do respond to him, and he’s very clear in his messaging and he makes sure to get with guys one-on-one to make sure there’s an understanding of the message and that they’re on the same page as what he wants.
“And so from that standpoint, the feedback has been very good.”
Whatever challenges Sorensen, a first-time NHL coach, has had, it’s still a “results-based business,” Davidson added.
“We always want more, and hopefully we can see that down the stretch,” he said.
2. Nick Lardis has blown away expectations — but hold on.
The Brantford Bulldogs winger has taken the Ontario Hockey League by storm this season, leading the OHL with 63 goals, and is second in points with 103 through 56 games.
Neither statistic is as eye-popping as his seven hat tricks.
“I don’t think we were quite expecting that,” Davidson said. “We have a lot of faith and excitement surrounding Nick, and we were expecting some nice numbers, but what we’re seeing is certainly beyond anything we were expecting.”
However, this scoring outburst doesn’t accelerate anything for the 2023 third-round pick.
“It’s just a very different game from the OHL to pro, and so players have to figure out how to score in different ways when you do make that transition,” Davidson said.
Lardis will still participate in post-draft development camp this summer, followed by training camp, before probably joining the Rockford IceHogs in the fall.
In other words, don’t project the 19-year-old as Connor Bedard’s wing man just yet.
“He’s old enough where we can send him to the AHL or wherever, so he’s Rockford-eligible at this point after this season,” Davidson said. “If he’s assigned anywhere, it’s in all likelihood Rockford.
“But we’ll let him figure that out in training camp.”
3. Artyom Levshunov is on track despite some hiccups.
The way the defenseman rocketed up the draft board to be selected at No. 2 this summer mirrors his progression to the pro level.
- USHL Green Bay in 2022-23
- Michigan State University in 2023-24
- Rockford this season, where he has five goals and 16 assists through 47 games.
“So there’s no real time to get used to one level,” Davidson said. “That’s a really hard transition, especially for a young defenseman.”
Levshunov’s development also had been stunted by an offseason right foot injury that kept him from joining the IceHogs until late October.
“And where he’s gone in his game, from training camp, but after that, with his injury, when he started in Rockford, to where we are now is, I’d say he’s improved by leaps and bounds in terms of getting used to the pace of the game at the AHL level, the physicality, the intensity needed, getting used to the schedule, playing against men — it’s a big transition,” Davidson said.
This is while Levshunov has been trying to traverse language and cultural barriers, Davidson added.
It hasn’t been all smooth sailing for Levshunov, however.
He was reportedly a healthy scratch for being late for a team meeting and he was suspended Monday for a game after receiving a misconduct penalty for crosschecking during Sunday’s game against the Chicago Wolves.
Davidson said some bumps are to be expected.
“With any young prospect, especially a first-year pro, you get these peaks and valleys, right?” he said. “You’ll get one good week or one good game, and then you’ll get a couple where you’ve got some new items to work on. And he’s no different.”
Davidson said Levshunov comes with some unique circumstances, and staff and coaches are there to help him manage them.
“He’s lived a lot of life in the last number of years, away from the rink, and how he’s had to acclimate to different situations and different cultures and language, and that continues,” he said. “But he’s done such an impressive job managing through that and always showing up to the rink and being ready to go.
“And he loves hockey, loves playing the game. … It’s really exciting to see, and it’s impressive to see, for someone that young in dealing with what he’s had to deal with.”
